


Drawn by scent, like a bee to a flower

by neela



Category: Murder Call (TV)
Genre: Cunnilingus, F/M, Handcuffs, Office Sex, PWP, Suggestive Themes, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-13 16:47:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9132811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neela/pseuds/neela
Summary: "Drawn by scentLike a beeTo a flowerProbing, amidstPink open petalsI sip the nectar." (Author unknown)This will be a collection of individual and mostly unconnected MATURE one-shots and drabbles that I wrote for the 100-fic challenge (Murder Call, pairing Tessa/Steve).





	1. All his

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy and Southern Star. I make no profit out of this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was all his. 
> 
> Set in a future where Tessa and Steve are married.

**Prompt:** 023\. Lovers

* * *

 

She was stretched out diagonally on the bed, face down, reading some magazine of hers, dressed only in loose shorts and a tank top. The shorts were his, he realised, and a shiver ran down his spine. Red silky material draped over her shapely curves, sitting low on her hips and riding slightly up on her bum. The white tank top was hugging her back, revealing strong muscles around her shoulder blades and lower back. Soft, tan skin called to him, alluring and enticing.  
  
She probably had no idea he was there. She was totally engrossed in her magazine, leaning forward on her elbows and bending her knees to wave them around slightly. Always restless, filled with energy just waiting to be spent. He felt a tug in his stomach when she slowly scratched her leg with a bare foot.  
  
How could he have ignored this for years? A goddess, a woman to be worshipped with everything he had and more. And she was all his.  
  
On stealthy feet, he tiptoed slowly towards the bed from the doorway in which he’d stood watching her. He knew where every creaky board, every weak spot was. This was simply a walk in the park. Especially as she was so easy to surprise when engrossed in something.  
  
Suddenly, she shifted and he froze. But she only cocked her head sideways, spilling the curls she had let grow long over one shoulder, revealing the slender neck he loved so much. He felt hot and giddy all over, nearly blowing it at the exact moment, but he gained control of himself, knowing how good things came to those who waited.  
  
Reaching the edge of the bed, he paused, feeling a sense of power standing there over her with her knowing nothing at all. Leaning forward, he grasped her bare foot as it waved above her, halting its movement in a soft grip. He could feel her muscles clenching and grinned, kneeling down on the mattress.  
  
She didn’t turn around as he reached down to lay a hot, open-mouthed kiss on her tan skin, but she had gone completely still and he revelled in his victory. A soft sigh sounded as he laid a trail of kisses up her leg, holding her ankle in one hand while letting the other roam further up her leg and turning back once he reached the edge of the red shorts.  
  
He felt hot and intimately connected to that warm flesh underneath his hands. Heaven would be the right explanation. A goddess to be worshipped indeed.  
  
He reached the weak spot behind her knee and paused there to suck gently, eliciting a small gasp from beside him. They were such delightful gasps; they did things to him he had never believed was possible. He’d been the hard-ass iceman, now all he needed to be turned to mush was a smile and a sigh.  
  
Lips hovering above the delicious skin, he stepped back a bit to run his hands up and down her leg. Starting at the bottom, he massaged his way up again, just to the edge of those enticing oversized shorts, running a finger barely under the trim, before moving to the other leg and doing the same to that one. She smelled and tasted of grapes and pineapple. Must’ve been the shower she had earlier.  
  
The muscles were relaxing underneath his touch, only tensing every time his hands reached the shorts and teased the sensitive skin underneath her bum and on the inside of her thighs. Oh, she wanted him. It made his trousers feel tighter; his groin gathering tension from the tantalising excitement.  
  
Sliding further onto the mattress, only enough to get him in reach of her back, he let go of her legs and let his fingers run along the bottom of the white tank top. If possible, he thought she was mewling. A chuckle escaped his throat and she shivered beneath his breath. He laid a kiss on her spine, just between the edge of the tank top and the shorts. He could feel her muscles tensing underneath him, coiled in preparation and tension.  
  
She wanted to roll over, but he held her in place, biting her skin and saying chidingly, “Uh-uh. Not this time.”  
  
She blew a frustrated breath, but didn’t move again, although he could sense the impatience building up in her. Sometimes she was too restless and forgot how to take her time. He had no trouble showing her, though.  
  
He pushed up her tank top to reveal the strong muscles flexing out from her spine. Wonderful tan skin, warm and enthralling. A rosy patch showed where he had bit her earlier. He couldn’t help repeat the action, making her twitch slightly. He grinned, enjoying this far too much to give in to the urge of flipping her over and get it over with. Sometimes there was a kind of satisfaction seeing one’s hard work bloom into something better.  
  
Continuing up her spine, laying down a trail of open-mouthed kisses before blowing lightly along the same trail. She shivered beneath him, her arms beginning to flex impatiently.  
  
Rising up on his knees, he straddled her and reached down to brush her hair over one shoulder. The blonde, long curls were soft and smelled of roses. With a little bit of regret, he let it go to encircle her neck with his hands. For a moment he just brushed across her spine with his thumbs, then he started kneading the flesh, working on the knots she always wound up with after a long day. She sighed and groaned repeatedly, hands digging down into the mattress beside her head as she sank into it.  
  
Little by little, the knots loosened up and her sighs were more frequent than her groans. His trousers were incredibly tight and he wanted nothing more than to rid himself of them, but this was her night. His goddess. He could wait.  
  
Pausing, he pulled his hands up and let them drift down to her sides, just under the tank top that had been pulled nearly up to her neck. She was particularly sensitive on the sides of her chest, a fact he never went without exploiting. She shivered again as his fingers ran along her ribcage, dipping slightly beneath her to touch the skin of her upper stomach.  
  
Kneeling above her, he finally let her roll over and met her impatient, frustrated look with a wide grin. She tried to grip his t-shirt, but he was quicker and pushed them both down onto the mattress, leaning down to claim her soft lips. It started out gently, but she was persistent and insisting, wanting more than he was planning to give. He pulled back with a chiding grin.  
  
“What did I tell you? Not this time.”  
  
“You’re making it bloody difficult, though,” she retorted lowly, nearly gritting her teeth as she fought against the hold he had on her hands.  
  
“Language,” he chuckled, straddling her again. Her eyes darkened once his groin settled against her pelvis. “You’ll just have to live with it. Tonight we’ll do it slow. My way.”  
  
“You’re gonna bloody kill me.”  
  
“Only a little,” he teased, stealing another kiss and ending it before it became too hot. She smiled then, eyes sparkling with fire, and she surprised him by stretching so her chest rose up towards him, the tell-tale signs of her arousal teasing him with their presence underneath the tank top. He swallowed and roughly pulled both her hands above her head and locked them there in one of his hands.  
  
Letting out a growl, he fell into her trap and brought his lips down to the crook of her neck while the free hand ran up under the tank top and found one wonderful handful. She twitched as he kneaded her breast and let a thumb run over a strutting nipple now and then. It was only half a mind doing that as the other concentrated on sucking that particular weak spot on her neck.  
  
She groaned and pushed her pelvis against him as he twirled the nipple teasingly without mercy. He nearly came undone as she did so and abandoned her neck to claim her mouth in a battle of tongues, running his tongue along her lower lip and teeth before plunging into the cavern of her mouth. He grew increasingly persistent as she returned the gesture in full force, biting down on his lower lip until he could feel blood in his mouth. He pulled back and met her dark eyes. She pushed her pelvis up again in challenge and he was nearly tempted to respond, but only just got a hold of himself.  
  
Hovering above her, he grinned again. “Wicked minx.”  
  
“And you wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said just as easily, grinning.  
  
“True,” he responded simply before cocking an eyebrow at her. Before she could do anything else, he had pushed her tank top up and latched onto her nipple. She arched beneath him with a gasp, straight into his mouth, and he forced himself to stay cool and continue with the plan, however difficult it was.  
  
Sucking, biting and kneading, he laid all his attention on the strutting nipples and ample breasts at display before him. She groaned and sighed, arching and twisting as she got more and more impatient. He had trouble holding her hands in place and realised he would soon be forced to give in.  
  
_But not yet._  
  
While raining hot kisses on her breasts, he let his free hand run down her stomach and to the edge of the shorts. He could feel her tense in anticipation and dig deep into the mattress, and grinned against her skin.  
  
Not disappointing her, he slipped underneath the edge of the oversized shorts and groaned once he realised she wasn’t wearing any other underwear. That woman was going to drive him mad and just for that, he bit her and she yelped. Before she could glower at him, however, his fingers had located her source of nerves in that region and he watched her go wide-eyed and jaw-dropped as he flicked it teasingly. She was already incredibly wet and he let a couple of his fingers run through the slick folds, only barely entering her hot core before flicking her clit again.  
  
“Steve...” she whimpered, beginning to twist again as he ran his tongue down her stomach and playing with her navel as his fingers dipped into her core. She gasped as he crooked his fingers and pushed in and out testily, massaging her walls as best as he could. She tightened around his fingers and her thighs pushed further apart to give him better access.  
  
He felt mighty and extremely privileged to have her beneath him, to have this kind of power over her. His heart swelled as his groin coiled and he started to get a bit impatient himself, flicking her clit with his thumb. His ministrations soon paid off as she let out a cry while she came violently around his fingers, bucking against his hand and arching into the bed.  
  
With a satisfied grin, he pulled out of her and the shorts and rolled over to one side to let her catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes closed. It was the most wonderful and beautiful sight he had laid eyes on. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips and met her clear blue eyes as she opened them.  
  
“I love you,” he told her. She grinned.  
  
“I love you too. I guess it’s my turn to show it.”  
  
He started to protest, but she was already up and straddling him, pushing his shirt up to lavish him with kisses and roaming hands. He nearly forgot where he was when she latched on to his nipples while reaching down to unbutton his trousers. Before he knew what was going on, he felt fresh air on his hot member and hands that gripped him so wonderfully.  
  
She grinned at him and he couldn’t help but grin back. Tempting as it was to regain control, she pushed him down and he lost any coherent thought once her tongue was running up and down the length of him, her hand massaging his balls while she reached under him to cup his buttocks with the other.  
  
Soon he was giddy and hot all over, and he feared things would be over before they got to the best part.  
  
“Tess,” he groaned, pulling her head away from the incredible blowjob she was giving him before flipping over and growling. He roughly pulled her shorts down and then proceeded to remove his shirt and trousers while she took off her tank top. The goddess that stretched out in front of him on top of crumpled sheets was a heavenly epiphany, with a smile that made him melt inside and a body that sent any clear-headedness out the window. He gave her a long kiss before positioning himself at her entrance.  
  
A pleading look was all it took before he plunged into her, filling her to the brim on her request. It was heaven. She was tight and hot, and so wet it made him groan. Drawing out until only his head was inside, he plunged forward again and again, slamming into her as her cries rose and her walls tightened. It was all he could do to keep from setting off right then and there.  
  
Pulling out, he flipped her onto her stomach and laid a pillow underneath her belly before gripping her hips and taking the plunge again. He angled himself so he hit that special spot he’d prided himself on finding, and she cried out in pleasure, twisting underneath him.  
  
“Harder,” she panted and he was only too happy to comply.  
  
He slammed into her again and again, faster and faster until he felt control slipping from his grasp. She came violently and thrashing, taking him with her and milking every last drop with her contractions.  
  
Spent, he dropped down on her back briefly before rolling to the side and taking her with him. Still inside her, he hugged her from behind and smiled when she kissed his hand.  
  
“I love you,” she said. He kissed her neck lovingly, reaching up to brush the curls out of his face. He could barely see her blue eyes trying to meet his over her shoulder.  
  
“Love you back.”  
  
He pulled out and she turned around, full smile and eyes sparkling, a thin sheen of sweat on her skin. She shivered and he pulled the sheets from under them and wrapped it around them both.  
  
Soon she had drifted off to sleep, her energy spent and probably headed for a deep sleep as opposed to the bouts of insomnia she was treated with. He followed not long after, feeling as if his heart would burst from the love he felt for this woman, this goddess, his wife.  
  
**END**


	2. Something pleasant this way comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six months after the Oakdale case, Tessa and Steve are experiencing déjà-vu, but this time with a different outcome. 
> 
> (Based on the Something Wicked novel by Jennifer Rowe.)

**Prompt:** 047\. Heart

* * *

  
Tessa pushed the door. It swung open and in a blatant display of déjà-vu, she saw Steve standing at the kitchen bench holding a half-eaten sandwich in one hand, and pouring boiling water into a teapot with the other. He looked around and grinned at her, his hair ruffled, his face roughened by dark stubble. Like that time in Oakdale, he was wearing battered corduroy trousers and a blue sweater. He looked just as wonderful as then.  
  
“I thought you might turn up,” he said in that deep tone of voice that was reserved for moments like this: when it was just the two of them and a late night supper. “Tea?”  
  
“Yes please.” With a brilliant smile that dispelled the tiredness in her body, she sat down by the edge of the kitchen island where he’d set the table for the two of them. “Am I still that easy to read?”  
  
Steve picked up the teapot and the tray of sandwiches covered in plastic wrap, and carried it over to her. “Only to me. And I figured with this case… It might bring back some bad memories.” He put the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, then sat down whilst speaking at the same time. “And some good ones, hopefully.”  
  
Tessa blushed at that and thanked the heavens that the light was dimmed so he wouldn’t be able to tell too easily. Yes, the trip home from Oakdale had been enlightening to say the least. No definite promises had been made, but they’d cleared the air and decided to simply let things progress naturally.  
  
Until now, it’d meant continued after-work bar visits that’d transformed to a few after-work drinks at home. It’d also meant movie nights or just meeting up on the weekend when they didn’t have any other plans, and find something to do together. They’d run together, gone to cafés, ordered in takeaway, visited the library, and also some occasional visits to the Sydney harbour where they’d simply strolled along the promenade with an ice cream or warm drink in hand. In short, they’d nurtured their friendship and if some of those nights had ended with a hug, a kiss on the cheek…well, neither made a big deal out of it…even if it’d sometimes been so electric she thought she’d go crazy.  
  
 _Definitely easier said than done.  
But you’ve been good at it. You haven’t messed up._  
  
Tessa was proud of herself when it came to that. She’d managed to not go completely neurotic and second-guess everything Steve said or did. Not that it hadn’t been difficult, but she’d made it and now here they were half a year later, much more at ease with each other. And she knew that he cared about her a lot, that he even found her attractive – those dilated pupils and easy smiles didn’t lie – and that made her both exhilarated and relaxed.  
  
“This is good.” Tessa munched on her sandwich, lips curled into a smile. “Who’d thought we’d be back doing a case like this? Far out in the outback?”  
  
Steve snorted, sipping his tea. “If this is what you call the outback, I need to bring you home to my folks sometime. Now  _that’s_ a place way out in nowhere.”  
  
“That why you moved to the big apple, then?” Finishing her sandwich, Tessa wiped her mouth with a napkin and picked up her hot mug of tea. “Need for civilisation?”  
  
“Kinda,” Steve said and dug into another sandwich. “Had to move to become a copper and just never found my way back again.”  
  
His tone turned kind of hushed and Tessa’s heart clenched momentarily. She knew that particular topic was a sore spot sometimes, even if he joked it off most of the time. With a gentle smile, she reached out to cover his hand easily with hers and squeezed it comfortingly.  
  
Steve managed a smile and turned his hand so that he could encompass her palm in his, brushing his thumb softly across her knuckles. “They’ve been asking about you.”  
  
Tessa blushed a little, her chest fluttering with warmth. “You’ve told them about me?”  
  
“Only the good stuff,” Steve teased and drank his tea with his other hand. “How driven you are, bordering on crazy sometimes… I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He laughed when she glared at him. “Anyway, they want to meet you sometime.”  
  
Although his tone was light, the veiled question was anything but. Rather than freak out, though, Tessa flushed again and found her heart suddenly beating rather fiercely in her chest. “I…wouldn’t mind that.”  
  
It earned her a full-blown grin. “Great. I’ll let you know when they’ll come to town next.”  
  
“All right.” Hesitating for a moment, Tessa half-mumbled, “It’s a date,” with the result that Steve’s grin widened impossibly further.  
  
Ducking her head slightly in embarrassment, she grabbed another sandwich and started eating it in an effort to downplay what she’d just said. While she did, she couldn’t help muse on the fact that they were still holding hands and it didn’t feel awkward, just…incredible. In Oakdale, she’d desperately wanted him to hold her hand like this, and now he actually was. No holds barred.  
  
Eventually, though, the hand-holding and the easy banter tapered off as they discussed some points of inquiry related to the case, and began to clear things away once they were done with that. Normally, this’d be enough for Tessa to start feeling drowsy, but as she waited by the kitchen island as Steve loaded the dishwasher, her mind was running wild.  
  
“You okay?” Steve asked once he stood up and caught her attention. His eyebrows were creased in concern.  
  
Tessa bit her lip, uncertain, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Just thinking about tomorrow. I’m worried the re-enactment is going to be too much for the Wilson children.”  
  
Steve approached her and rested both hands on her shoulders, his gaze gentle. “They’ll be all right. That’s why we’ve got social services and their therapist there, for one.” When Tessa didn’t respond beyond a slight hum, he brushed his thumb underneath her chin and tipped her head up to face him. “Hey. Try not to worry about it. You want me to give you a neck rub before you turn in?”  
  
Tessa’s cheeks flushed hotly, a nervous smile on her lips. To be honest, she loved his neck rubs. He didn’t offer them often, which made them all the more precious, and he was rather good at it too. Right now, though, a part of her worried it’d just stoke the tension rather than relieve it.  
  
 _You can’t say no, though._  
  
“Sure, I’d like that.” Tessa smiled and allowed herself to be led back to the kitchen chair, where she sat down and shivered when Steve’s hands brushed away her hair for easier access.  
  
“Close your eyes, and remember to let yourself relax.”  
  
The timbre in Steve’s voice was rich and smooth, sending another pleasant tremble through her body from top to bottom. As his fingers dug deep into her muscles, Tessa couldn’t help the soft sigh that passed her lips. She turned to butter in his hands; it was as simple as that. Sometimes, it expelled the tension like a magic spell, while other times it spurred something in her, something deep in the pit of her being: a slow burn.  
  
It was the latter that happened this time. Once her pulse calmed and her sighs softened further, she felt his fingers turn hot as embers on her skin, almost burning her, and her sighs changed quality. The air started to become electric, dangerously so, and she knew one of them would soon take the initiative to end the session. It’s how the story had always gone so far.  
  
Except Steve didn’t show any hint of that, and the hotter his hands became, the hotter she felt and the higher her pulse rose until soon her sighs were punctuated by half-gasps. Her body began to tense, her stomach coiling in anticipation, and eventually her eyes opened widely and she shifted in her seat to signal her desire to stop.  
  
 _This isn’t the place. Or the time. We’re on a case.  
So?_  
  
Swallowing, Tessa turned her head to gaze up at Steve, whose features were half-shadowed in the dimmed kitchen. With a shaky smile, she reached up to touch one of his hands with hers. “Thank you. You’re great at this.”  
  
It took longer for him to respond than she’d expected, which made her tense further, but he removed his hands and gave her a smile in return. “My pleasure. Hope it’ll help you sleep.”  
  
“It will,” Tessa said as she rose from her seat and pushed the chair back under the table. Her heart was pounding in her chest, maybe even loud enough that he could hear, and she hoped he didn’t notice.  
  
 _He’s noticed. You saw the way he looked at you – **is** looking at you. He’s thinking about it._  
  
Tessa cleared her throat. “How about you?”  
  
Steve pushed his hands into the pockets of his trousers, gesturing for the door out of the kitchen. “I’m not the one with the streak of insomnia. Just need a bed and a pillow, and I’ll be out before you can say ‘break a leg’.”  
  
Although the teasing was familiar, his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. As she walked ahead of him into the corridor and towards the staircase that’d take them up to their rooms, Tessa’s mind latched onto that fact and made her bite her lip.  
  
 _Why’s tonight different? Why here? Why now?_  
  
The voice at the back of her head was unhelpful:  _Why not?_  
  
“This is me.” Tessa stopped at her door, realised how obviously nervous she must seem, and turned to face Steve with a slightly sheepish smile. “But you knew that, of course.”  
  
 _He’s seeing straight through you now. Good job._  
  
Steve chuckled lowly, careful not to be too loud in case they’d wake the other guests at the B&B. Touching her shoulder again, he leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek, his breath hot against her ear. “Good night, Tess. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”  
  
Tessa blushed furiously and automatically gave his cheek a kiss too before he could pull away. “Good night. See you tomorrow.”  
  
They lingered only for a moment more, eyes locked, before Tessa turned and opened her door with as much determination she could muster. As she closed it behind her, she stopped in her tracks, her heart beating its way out of her chest, and listened as Steve’s heavy steps lumbered down the hallway to his adjacent room. She heard his door open and close, heard him bustle somewhat around the room, and finally heard his bed creak with his weight before silence ensued.  
  
 _Calm down, Tessa. You need to sleep._  
  
In an effort to do just that, she opened her window to let in as much fresh, cold air as possible and then went to brush her teeth. Her rosy cheeks and shiny eyes stared back at her in the mirror, and she paced around the bathroom, trying desperately to forget the buzz he’d been able to create in her with just his words, voice and a neck massage.  
  
Tessa knew she’d fallen a long time ago, but most of the time it was easy to push it out of her mind. They didn’t normally sleep next door to each other; they had the safety and sanctity of their homes to preserve their privacy and distance. And normal work days and bar visits didn’t exactly accommodate the kind of intimacy they’d just engaged in. So this was rare territory; it wasn’t strange that she’d react like this. It was quite normal.  
  
 _Put it out of your mind, Tessa. You’ve got a case to handle. It’s already past one in the morning. Sleep. Get your head on straight.  
And if I don’t want to?_  
  
That was the question, wasn’t it? Tessa looked at herself in the mirror and felt her hot cheeks, brushing across the piece of skin Steve’s kiss had brushed earlier. What if she didn’t want to leave things like this? She knew they had time, she knew they could probably pick this up later when it was more convenient, but…  
  
 _But I don’t want to._  
  
Heart hammering in her chest, Tessa felt as if she was going crazy. As of looking at herself from the outside, she put away her toothbrush and changed into her sleepwear, and then exited the bathroom with every intention to continue out of her room…  
  
Only to stop at the soft knock on her door.  
  
It was hesitant, gentle, and she hesitated too, hand on the doorknob. A million thoughts rushed through her mind, each more confusing than the previous, but before she could reach a conclusion, she’d opened the door and now stood staring at Steve’s back. He had his hands tucked into his trouser pockets and when he turned, his eyes revealed a mixture of surprise, worry and indecision.  
  
“I—” he began quietly, eyebrows knitted, but whatever he wanted to say had difficulty turning into words. It resonated so deeply within her that Tessa reached out, grasped his elbow and gently pulled him inside her room.  
  
He didn’t go far, nor did he show signs of further action, instead just staring at her in the dimness as she closed the door. Pausing, Tessa took a deep breath, her hands trembling, and then she turned to face him, her shoulders squared. “I felt it too.”  
  
Steve shifted, his hands coming out of his pockets, his question one of disbelief. “You did?”  
  
It made her smile and she approached him, emboldened. “Yeah.” With a gentle caress, she reached up and cupped his cheek, a shiver running down her spine. “I know it’s not perhaps the best time or place, but…”  
  
They were gravitating towards each other, Tessa realised, and she gasped slightly when she felt his hot breath upon her skin once more. One of his hands reached up to cover hers, while the other caressed her cheek, her jawline, and then trailed into her hair.  
  
“I know,” Steve mumbled, again in that rich and smooth way of his, and she could feel his heat begin to envelop her in the darkness. Just a few inches more… “I’ve been waiting for this, Tess…for you.”  
  
She felt his lips brush against her cheek, lightly, softly, like a prayer, and her lips parted in a gasp. As it caught in a spell, she sought them out and sighed blissfully once they finally connected. Slowly, unhurriedly, they allowed themselves to explore: soft kisses, gentle fingers sliding to the backs of their necks, tongues darting out to meld them even closer together.  
  
Soon, their hands joined in, their bodies pressed against each other, and each caress gave them confidence. Tessa listened to her heart pounding in her ears and felt the comfortable shivers running up and down her spine. Beneath her hands, she could feel his heart racing too; could feel his heat and his growing insistence.  
  
Breaking for air, Tessa smiled up at Steve, who was breathing rather heavily. Wordlessly, she reached down to the edges of his T-shirt and began to pull it up and over his head. He complied without question and let it fall to the floor, gasping slightly when her hands found his bare, flushed skin and explored his back, chest and abdomen before trailing down to his trousers.  
  
After stepping out of them and leaving them on the floor, Steve pulled her closer and ran his hands underneath her pyjamas top. Those rough calloused fingers touched her spine so lovingly, so tenderly, that Tessa felt her back curl in anticipation and she needed to reclaim his lips for a moment.  
  
Her pyjamas bottoms went first and the rush of cold air from the open window was a momentary shock on her system. Noticing her shivers, Steve stepped back and went to close the window. The sudden solitude felt fiercely empty, so Tessa followed him and enveloped him from behind, leaving butterfly kisses all over his strong, warm back.  
  
Once finished with his task, Steve turned in her arms and nudged her to the edge of the bed before he wrapped her fully into his warmth. Their kisses weren’t solely exploring or unhurried anymore. From the base of her being, Tessa felt her body respond in ways she’d yearned for in the past six months. A rising daze was taking hold of her, spinning her out of control, filling her in almost every way imaginable except one.  
  
When Steve’s hands finally reached the front of her pyjamas top, Tessa shuddered, a burst of warmth pooling between her legs. Despite the underlying hurry, Steve unbuttoned her shirt too slowly, too agonisingly, and she grabbed him impatiently until the clothing was finally pushed off her shoulders and unto the floor.  
  
Then, as flesh finally met flesh, Tessa moaned against Steve’s lips in appreciation. She could hear his breathing growing even more ragged and felt his hands trail down from her back to the back of her thighs, lifting her slightly until her bum was settled firmly on the bed.  
  
Recognising the silent request, Tessa scooted backwards, losing her underwear in the process, and lay watching as Steve reached down to remove his boxers. Even in the dimness, she could see the outlines of him when he straightened, could see his hardness settled against his lower abdomen, and an exhilarated tremble rushed through her.  
  
With bated breath and before he could move down on top of her, Tessa sat back up and touched him. Tenderly, softly, with the barest of caresses, but enough to draw a guttural groan from his throat. As if on automatic, his hands entangled in her hair, and she didn’t know if it was a request or an invitation, but she nevertheless leaned forward and kissed his length.  
  
“Tess…” Her name on his lips. Intimate. Far more intimate than she’d ever heard it uttered before. It emboldened her, made her run her tongue over him too, her hands reaching out to caress his abdomen, his hips, his bum.  
  
She never got as far as actually taking him in her mouth, though. Steve pushed her head away slightly, then leaned down and pushed her gently into the mattress, her legs left dangling over the edge. By the time she realised his head wasn’t going to just linger on her breasts, she’d grabbed hold of his hair and now gasped at the sensation of his firm tongue upon her bundle of nerves.  
  
Small explosions burst out, one built upon the other, surging outwards from her epicentre beneath Steve’s circling tongue. She found it hard to keep quiet, but something told her she should. This B&B was old, the walls thin, and she didn’t want any awkward stares in the morning. So she held back her soft moans, which only served to heighten the tension in her groin and make the stars begin to appear in her vision.  
  
Steve was gentle yet relentless, increasingly confident, and she felt his fingers probe her opening, testing its wetness, curling inwards. The resulting pressure was rising like a boiling kettle with its lid still on, and she twisted upon the mattress, biting down upon her hand to keep from crying out loud.  
  
Part of her was grateful when he suddenly stopped, but another part had been stoked into a frenzy, demanding release. It was this part that tugged him roughly to her, let him help her into a more comfortable position, and then wrapped her legs around his hips so that his length pressed against her opening.  
  
It took a moment, partly a frustrating one, but then he was sliding all the way in and Tessa swallowed a moan, her back arching. Steve wasn’t able to keep it down, his guttural groan almost unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent room. In an effort to quiet him, she kissed him, a needy, bruising kiss, and then locked him in place with her arms as she lifted her hips to meet his.  
  
The slow pace they set at first didn’t last. Tessa was already high, the pressure about to burst, and she clenched tightly around him, meeting his thrusts as best as she could. Soon, all she was conscious of was the way his length buried itself within her, the way each stroke funnelled her deeper into the tornado, and she threw her head back, half-crying out once the dam finally burst.  
  
It tore her to pieces, blew her mind, and she rode it out with him, bursting at the seams, until he came as well with a few rapid thrusts and a guttural sound torn from his lips. Then, spent, they collapsed upon the bed, all sweaty and hot, and struggled to catch their breaths. Steve’s head rested between her breasts and Tessa couldn’t help holding him close, relishing his nearness and the sense of completion she felt.  
  
Eventually, though, they broke apart to clean themselves up. Steve fetched a towel from the bathroom while Tessa lay on the bed, smiling a little to herself. She accepted the towel a little awkwardly, automatically turning away whilst she cleaned up and put on her underwear again, then threw it onto the floor to join the rest of their clothes.  
  
“Mind if I stay here tonight?”  
  
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Steve looked uncertain, as if what they’d just done hadn’t quite confirmed things yet. Tessa’s own awkwardness melted at the sight and she pulled him down next to her. “Of course. But if I wake up on the floor sometime in the night, you’re banned until further notice.”  
  
The teasing helped. Steve chuckled as he drew her close, his warmth now comforting rather than electric, and Tessa tilted her head back to share a gentle kiss with him. “Is it too soon to say I love you?”  
  
“I basically said I wanted you to meet my parents. That’s kinda huge.” Steve grinned and kissed her for a long, long while. “So no, it’s not too soon. And I love you too, Tess.”  
  
Tessa smiled widely, feeling utterly happy, tired and giddy at the same time. If she could fall asleep like this every night from now on, she didn’t care what kind of cases they were thrown into anymore.  
  
 _Maybe you won’t have insomnia anymore either._  
Maybe…  
  
With a contented sigh, Tessa snuggled close to Steve and promptly fell asleep.  
  
 **FIN**


	3. A morning of clichés

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one would ever hear him say it out loud, but Steve was living in a cliché.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a simple, fluffy and funny oneshot. Then it got a mind of its own. Fast.

**Prompt:** 056\. Breakfast

* * *

  
No one would ever hear him say it out loud, but Steve was living in a cliché. When he woke up, he felt wonderful. Brilliant sun was streaming into the room, the sheets were comfortably warm, and he’d slept excellently. A full night’s sleep, no less. Had to be a miracle.  
  
The only cloud on the horizon was the notably empty space next to him. If he hadn’t noticed the bustling from the kitchen, he’d have deflated already. As it were, he instead rolled onto his back, stared up at the ceiling, and then smirked slightly. It was far too comfortable in bed, but there was no point lying here on his own. So Steve slipped out of bed, pulled on his boxers, and padded down the winding staircase to the ground floor.  
  
As the steps opened up and revealed the living room and kitchen below, Steve’s small smirk widened into a grin. Dancing slightly from foot to foot, a blonde goddess was humming to herself whilst expertly scrambling eggs – wearing seemingly nothing but a pair of lacy undies and one of his shirts with the sleeves rolled up.  
  
On silent feet, Steve touched down upon the ground floor and went straight for his target, wrapping his arms around her possessively and planting an open-mouthed kiss behind her ear. “What do you think you’re doing?”  
  
“Making breakfast,” Tessa teased, not losing her grip on the spatula even as she seemed to melt into his embrace. She smelled and felt wonderful, her skin impossibly soft.  
  
Steve inhaled her scent and bit her earlobe lightly, the timbre of his voice dropping low and hushed. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”  
  
Tessa chuckled and twisted her head slightly so that she could glance up at him. “Now why would I want that?”  
  
“Because I’m handsomely sexy?” Steve grinned and tugged her even closer, his hands unable to keep from brushing across her thighs.  
  
“With an ego the size of Saturn,” Tessa muttered.  
  
“Hey!” In mock outrage, Steve stopped his ministrations and glared at her.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Tessa rose on the tips of her toes to give him a brief kiss on the cheek. “And handsomely sexy.”  
  
“Thank you.” Grinning again, Steve mirrored her kiss before she had to turn back to the food lest she burn it.  
  
Tessa chuckled, another mutter escaping her lips. “You’re incurable.”  
  
Steve simply hugged her tighter, burying his face into the crook of her neck. “So I’m told frequently. By you, as a matter of fact. I wonder why?”  
  
As he ran his hands down her thighs and then up underneath the edge of her oversized shirt, he placed another open-mouthed kiss right beneath her ear. A shiver ran through Tessa’s body in response and she shifted on her feet, her bum brushing up against his groin. Even as she tried to sound unaffected, Steve’s grin widened.  
  
“Maybe because you  _are_  incurable.” Tessa cleared her throat, running the spatula through the yellowish mass in the frying pan. “Handsomely sexy and incurable with a Saturn-sized ego.”  
  
“Aww,” Steve rested his chin on her shoulder, leaving his hands on her hips for now. “Admit it: you love me!”  
  
It was all in jest, of course. That’s why her response floored him.  
  
“There’s no hiding that. I do.”  
  
Steve froze, mind blank, then blinked his eyes and twisted so that he could see her face fully. “Huh? Say again?”  
  
Tessa grinned at him, her eyes sparkling brilliantly, clearly enjoying her upper hand. “I love you.”  
  
Somehow, his heart and lungs started working again, and Steve hugged her tightly, his smile matching hers. “So I’m not suffering from bad hearing then.” He reached up with one hand to caress her cheek, his voice turning hushed. “I love you too, Tess.”  
  
A smug expression crossed Tessa’s face and she promptly turned back to the food, now beginning to scoop parts of the scrambled eggs onto two plates containing pieces of toast and slices of tomatoes. “I know.”  
  
“You know?” Steve’s eyebrow arched questioningly, half tease, half serious. “Why prompt me then?”  
  
Tessa turned off the heat on the stove and glanced back at him, still grinning. “Because you’re cute with that shocked I-can’t-believe-it expression.”  
  
“Right.” Steve groaned, a touch of drama in his tone, his hands returning to their trail up underneath Tessa’s shirt. “From handsomely sexy and incurable with a Saturn-sized ego to ‘cute’. I’m disappointed.”  
  
Grabbing hold of his arms above her abdomen, Tessa leaned her head back onto his shoulder, her blue eyes sparkling and full of life. “But you love me.”  
  
“Yeah…” Steve smiled gently and leaned down to finally melt against those luscious lips of hers. She responded readily, her tongue darting out to run across his lower lip, slow and patient even as his hands got more possessive, more daring. Eventually, Steve pulled back, his voice husky. “So how about that bed?”  
  
“Steve!” Tessa hit him playfully and tried to twist out of his grip, the friction only causing him to tighten his hold and slip one hand up to the soft underside of her breast.  
  
“What?” He nuzzled her neck with his nose, followed by his lips, letting his hand reach its destination and brush his thumb across a pert nipple. “When’re you’re saying things like that I just want to  _ravish_  you.”  
  
Tessa gasped, squirming in his arms, her back arching. “But I’m making breakfast.”  
  
Steve lowered his other hand to the apex of her thighs, cupping her through her silky underwear, the blood pounding hotly beneath his skin. “I’ll make it worth your while.”  
  
“I’m not sure... There’s this thing, you see…” There was forced coyness in her voice, punctuated by the tongue-in-cheek smile directed his way. Well, two could play that game. “HEY! Put me down!”  
  
With the strength of someone younger than him, Steve lifted Tessa bridal style and grinned victoriously when she hooked her arms around his neck in an effort to hold on, pressing herself flush against his chest. “When the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must come to the mountain.”  
  
Tessa gave him a half-petulant, half-teasing smirk, but didn’t protest further as he carried her towards the staircase. “I didn’t think they taught you that at Catholic school?”  
  
“I had a rebellious teacher.” Steve winked at her, to which she only rolled her eyes.  
  
“So that’s where you’ve gotten this side from, then.”  
  
Pausing by the bottom of the staircase, Steve gave her the option to back out. “You absolutely sure you still want to make breakfast...?”  
  
Blushing, Tessa glanced back at the stove, then met his gaze and held on even tighter. “No...”  
  
Steve’s grin widened brilliantly. “Good. ‘Cause this incurable, handsomely sexy man with an ego the size of Saturn wants to show you  _exactly_  how much he loves you...” He took one step up the staircase before stopping. “But you’ll have to walk up the stairs yourself, or I’ll just end up banging your head against the wall.”  
  
Chuckling, Tessa let herself be put down on the step above him. “Figures. So much for romance… You’re getting old.”  
  
“Oh-ho!” Barking out a laugh, Steve’s eyes glinted dangerously and he raised a finger in warning. “You’re going to eat those words.”  
  
Tessa only grinned. “Gotta catch me first.”  
  
And without further ado, she ran up the stairs, leaving him laughing at the bottom.  
  
Oh, he’d catch her alright. Nothing was going to stop him, not on this day of sugary sweet clichés. He was too happy for that. Too in love for that. So, grabbing hold of the banisters, Steve jumped two steps at the time and was up just seconds after her.  
  
When he managed to grab her from behind, Tessa squealed with laughter and tried to wriggle out of his hold all the way into the bedroom. They fell onto the mattress, breathlessly giggling like teenagers, legs and arms entangled. For a moment, they lay there, getting their breaths back, and then Tessa rolled him around and climbed on top of him.  
  
“Thought I was the one going to get caught,” she teased as she straddled him, her pelvis rubbing firmly against his.  
  
“Who says  _you_  caught  _me_?” Steve let his hands fall down to her hips as he sat up, his heart roaring beneath his skin, his chuckle turning into a groan when Tessa adjusted so that his length settled firmly between her legs. “Maybe I let you.” He rolled his hips against her and Tessa’s breath hitched, her voice throaty now.  
  
“No, I don’t buy it.” She hooked her arms around his neck and leaned closer, her nipples stiff beneath her shirt where they rubbed against his bare chest. “You, Steve Hayden, are whipped. You’re  _mine_.” To punctuate it, she tugged his lips into hers and bit down gently, rolling her hips in sync with his.  
  
Groaning, Steve ran his hands up under her borrowed shirt –  _his_  shirt – trailing the strong muscles of her back, the gentle curve of her spine. When he reached the bottom of her neck, she raised her arms and he complied all too easily, tugging the shirt over her head and throwing it away. Breathless, their lips found their way back to each other hungrily.  
  
Mind restricted to nothing more than the soft skin beneath his fingers and the wetness trickling through Tessa’s underwear, Steve grabbed Tessa’s hair gently and tugged it back. Her neck exposed itself to him and he latched on, finding the familiar path that drove her crazy. She arched her back, exposing her breasts next and Steve pulled her higher so he could take them into his mouth, tongue circling those pert buds until she was gasping beneath his touch.  
  
Things began to blur after that. Impatience made Tessa slip off his lap and onto the floor so she could remove her underwear. Before letting her return to the bed, though, Steve tugged her close and raised one of her legs to rest next to him. Slick skin revealed itself to him and he dived in, holding her in place with his hands on her bum, his tongue following through on his promise and ravishing her clit, folds and opening until she cried out and half-collapsed on top of him.  
  
Licking his lips, Steve grinned brilliantly and lowered her gently onto the bed, switching position so he was on top again. “I think you’ve got in backwards, Tess.  _You’re_  mine.”  
  
Tessa chuckled weakly, her cheeks flushed beautifully, and she encircled his neck with her arms. “Let’s just agree we belong to each other.”  
  
“All right,” Steve said, leaning down to kiss her sweetly, deeply, while his hands ran up her legs, across her knees, and along the insides of her sensitive thighs. Parting her legs gently, he rubbed his length along her wet core, encouraged by her hands tugging him ever closer.  
  
It was a cliché, but Steve didn’t care. Sinking into Tessa was like coming home. The way she sighed softly as he filled her, the way her inner muscles clenched around him as if in welcome, the way she wrapped herself around him until there was no escape but down the rabbit hole with her. Whenever they were together, he could lose control and it was okay. She had him. She brought him home.  
  
The slow push and pull was his own private reverence. The shift in angle was his way of worship. The open-mouthed kisses and soft utterances of her name was his litany. Even as the pace picked up and his hand snuck down to help her reach the summit once more, Steve didn’t lose that sensation. It might be blasphemy, but this goddess was divine and deserved everything he could give.  
  
So listening to her cry out, to feel her clamp down hard on him, wetness rushing down her sheath, Steve let her have it all. Let him share in it, revel in it, before he finally allowed himself to come home.  
  
Then, with a satisfied groan, he collapsed on top of her and chuckled when she began to chuckle, both equally euphoric.  
  
“So…” Steve rolled over and pulled her into the crook of his arm. “Did the incurable, handsomely sexy man with an ego the size of Saturn show you how much he loves you?”  
  
Tessa grinned and hugged him closer, her legs entangling with his. “I guess he did all right for an old man.”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
Tessa laughed out loud and leaned up on her elbow so she could give him a deep, meaningful kiss. “All right, he blew my mind.”  
  
“As promised.” Steve grinned, to which Tessa simply rolled her eyes and sighed melodramatically.  
  
“So can we eat breakfast now?" She arched an eyebrow questioningly, her lips curling into a smirk. "I’m starving.”  
  
 **FIN**


	4. Up to no good 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from tempe_brennandr on LJ. Smut and handcuffs. Enough said.

**PART ONE**

**Prompt:** 044\. Circle

* * *

  
“You’re up to something again.”

Standing by her dresser, wearing only a black slip dress, Tessa turned to face the bed, eyebrow cocked in an innocent smirk. “I am?”

Steve lowered the book he was reading, a pair of reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose. The silver in his hair was more pronounced now, but she’d always found it to make him even more handsome rather than old. ‘Refined’ was the word she’d used sometimes.

“Yes, you are.” Chuckling lightly, Steve let one side of his mouth quirk up in a smirk and then delved back into his book. “I can always tell.”

“That’s no fun,” Tessa said tongue-in-cheek as she turned back to the dresser and continued to remove her earrings. “I used to be unpredictable.”

“And impulsive, disorganised, hated paperwork…”

“I still hate paperwork,” Tessa noted.

In the mirror, Steve grinned at her. “Should I be worried? You’re _definitely_  sounding like you’re up to something.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, put the earrings down, and turned with a hand on her hip. “And if I was? Would you go along with it?”

“Depends,” Steve teased, and yet he was already beginning to mark his place in the book and putting it away. “Am I going to regret it?”

“I’m not sure.” Tessa grinned, a slight touch of nervousness rippling through her skin. The idea was really only half-formed, born from having seen the three Senior Constables under her supervision play practical jokes on each other.

“Sounds intriguing.” Placing his book on the nightstand, Steve removed his reading glasses too and then sat back against the headboard. With those wonderful dimples of his, he grinned in challenge. “So? Do I need to close my eyes?”

“Depends,” Tessa teased back as she grabbed hold of her slip dress and began to pull it over her head, exposing black lace normally too frilly for an ordinary day at work. She let the slip drop to the floor, noticing the appreciative gaze running up and down her skin, the slight dilation of his pupils. “How much do you want to know, Senior Sergeant?”

Steve’s timbre was low, practically husky. “Sounds like you’re planning to bend the rules, Sergeant.”

“Just turning the tables a bit,” Tessa said with a flutter in her chest, a hot flush rising up from her gut when she leaned down to find her belt among her discarded clothes. Then, locating it, she unbuttoned the handcuffs still attached to it and held them up.  
The surprise was clear in his expression, his lips parting slightly.

Nervous, Tessa forced down the urge to back down, instead focusing on how she’d caught him off guard – a feat that usually pleased her immensely, at least if it had a happy ending. “What do you say?”

Steve’s eyes twinkled. “What’s my offense, Sergeant?”

Tessa smirked. “Sexual harassment… _sir_. I’m not sure I appreciate the way you’re looking at me.”

With the slow motions of a panther, Steve slipped out of bed, rounding it until he was next to her and had his hands settled on her hips, his thumbs brushing against the linings of her underwear. “And which way is that?”

The touch of his skin upon hers made her heart skip a beat. The fire began to rise in the pit of her stomach, and it was made worse by how he leaned down to ghost open-mouthed kisses on her neck.

“Like that,” she whispered, melting into him slightly, caught up in the tantalising sensation of fingers caressing the roundness of her hips, the underside of her bum, the back of her thighs. Her resolve almost wavered, the handcuffs almost slipping out of her grip. He smelled too good, felt too good, and all she wanted right now was to wrap herself around him and let him take charge.

As the cool metal fell against his back, though, Tessa noticed the gasp from his lips and she opened her eyes widely. With some effort, she pulled back and pushed him onto the edge of the bed, chuckling slightly. “I’m afraid I’ll have to put you under arrest, Senior Sergeant.”

“For what?” Steve grinned, playing along. “Can’t a guy show some affection anymore?”

“Well, does the other part want it?” Heart fluttering wildly, Tessa grabbed his hand and placed the handcuff gently around its wrist, careful not to tighten it too much. She gasped slightly when his free hand came up to caress her bum again, giving it a teasing squeeze.

“I’d say she does,” Steve muttered cheekily, letting his hand run up her hot, trembling back until his fingers found the clasp of her bra and unhooked it.

As if startled awake, Tessa reached back, grabbed his other hand, and swung it around to fit the handcuffs onto it. With a slight firmness in her voice that was probably ruined by her lopsided smirk, she said, “You’re overstepping,  _sir_. And I think you need to be punished for that.”

Steve’s grin widened. “Do your worst, copper. I’ll never confess to anything.”

“Famous last words,” Tessa said and promptly pushed him onto his back, his legs still dangling over the edge of the bed. An exhilarated sensation rushed through her at the sight and she reached back to refasten the clasp on her bra, not about to give him what he’d so clearly wanted. Not yet, anyway. “Hands above your head.”

At least he complied, grinning all the while, and lay more or less still as Tessa kneeled down and began to trace a path along his shins, the insides of his knees and thighs, and then outwards to his hips. Even as she avoided the bulge beneath his boxers, she could feel him strain slightly to get her in that direction, and she smirked and let her lips caress the ticklish areas of his abdomen.

Steve laughed involuntarily, jerking slightly, and broke character for a moment. “No tickling!”

“You sure you’re allowed to make demands?” Tessa teased, but nonetheless moved so that she trailed across his chest instead, leaving kisses and gentle bites on his hot, flushed skin. She relished in the mix of tension and softness beneath her, and the gentle sighs that escaped his parted lips, especially as her tongue circled the area around his nipples.

As she reached his collar bone, her lace-covered breasts barely brushing across his abdomen, she felt Steve’s arms twitch and move. She immediately pulled back and sat up straddling him, grabbing hold of his arms and keeping them down with a smirk. “Don’t move.”

Steve’s darkened eyes twinkled in challenge. “Oh yeah?”

She hadn’t realised the position she’d placed herself in. Suddenly, he rolled his hips against her and the full length of his hardness rubbed against her opening, inciting a rush of heat up her spine and to every extremity. Her inner muscles clenching in response, Tessa gasped, her skin burning impotently when he just as abruptly stopped moving.

She glared down at his cheeky grin. “You’re gonna regret that.”

“Am I?”

Without speaking, Tessa scooted off him, already missing the feel of him, but determined that she’d make this as hard on him as it was on her. He was always so confident at this while she’d been the slightly awkward one, at least when they’d first gotten together. Over the years, though, he’d coaxed something out of her he simply called ‘the minx’, and it was this drive that compelled her out of bed.

Underneath his darkening gaze, Tessa raised a hand to unfasten her bra, then let it fall down slowly until it hung by her fingertips. On the bed, Steve twitched, his arms kept above his head with seemingly only a thin thread. Oh, she knew he loved that, loved watching her, and she loved it too. It made her feel empowered, strong, confident.

So, holding his gaze trapped in hers, she began to run her palms over her breasts. Slowly. Tantalisingly. Sending bursts of electricity to the apex of thighs. Her lips parted and she saw his do too, his chest heaving slightly, especially as she let her fingertips twirl a nipple between them.

She let out a moan, closing her eyes briefly, when one of her hands caressed down her abdomen, the tension rising in her gut. A thrill surged through her as she just barely brushed against the lace-covered slit, one finger trailing slowly up and down above her sensitive bud before slipping underneath the lacy edge above her hip. With her other hand, she raised a finger to her mouth and ran it across her tongue, gaze still locked with Steve’s.

Things were getting really hot, fast, and Tessa felt her own impatience spur her on, using her wet finger to rub more firmly between her legs. Heat blossomed and pooled, and her inner muscles clenched tightly in response. On the bed, Steve was practically straining off the mattress, shifting impatiently too.

Grinning, Tessa slipped both thumbs underneath the waistband of her underwear, and then turned slightly so he could watch it slip slowly across her bum. It fell to the ground and she stepped out of it, turning back.

Steve’s breath was ragged now, his hardness tenting in his boxers, and he looked ready to jump off the bed. He still kept his arms above his head, though, and Tessa decided to reward him for that. With as much sheer confidence she could muster, she went back to the edge of the bed, grabbed hold of his boxers and pulled them off. His hardness bounced back, stiff and bulging, and she leaned down to kiss the tip of it.

“Ugh.”

Steve’s head hit the mattress hard, his hips twitching against her. Smirking, Tessa let her tongue envelop his length, running up and down and teasing its head while her hands massaged the area around it.

Then she stopped, making him groan, and instead kissed her way up his abdomen and chest until she could tear a bruising kiss from his lips. She bit down on his lower lip, tugging it slightly, and raised her hands until they were entwined with his above his head. His tongue darted into her mouth, battling hers, insistent and impatient. As soon as she noticed, Tessa pulled back again, chuckling slightly.

“Ready to confess?” Her voice was low, husky, revealing her confidence as much as her own impatience.

“Yes,” Steve mumbled, his gaze connecting with hers: all dark, hot and heavy. “I’m guilty of all charges.  _Ma’am_.”

Oh, he knew she hated being called that, especially by him. Tessa bit down on his ear, making him chuckle slightly, but that stopped when she moved to straddle him once more. Her slick entrance rubbed against his length, the tension coiling in the bottom of her stomach, and she could feel his arms jerk as if to embrace her.

“I thought I told you not to move,” Tessa said with a smirk, holding his arms down with her hands.

Steve gave her a sheepish grin in return, his dimples showing, and complied. She could see he struggled, though, especially as she sat back and began to slide onto him. To be honest, she struggled too. Not having his hands on her skin was difficult, unusual, and she had a feeling she’d eventually give in, especially when his eyes fluttered closed and she felt a gasp slip past her lips as his length rubbed against her inner walls.

Sweat broke out on her skin as she sat back, feeling him stretch her to the brim, and she let her hands fall down to touch her breasts since he wasn’t able to right now. As she rolled her hips back and forth, she felt the waves begin to churn, felt her extremities tingle in anticipation, and she let the sensations drive her motions.

“Tess…” His voice sounded strained and Tessa met his gaze, moaning at the intensity in his eyes. Mesmerised, she held his stare as she began to move up and down, one hand still teasing her nipples, the other slipping down to rub circles around her engorged bud. He met her moves, jerking his hips in tandem with hers, his arms struggling to keep motionless above his head.

As she felt the wetness pool around his shaft and the bursts of electricity surge outwards from the epicentre, Tessa quickened her pace, practically losing her mind, and let herself be swept away by the sensory overload. She lost sense of time, sense of place, instead fixing her focus to the hardness pumping into her core, to the intense gushes surrounding it, and to Steve’s gaze locked firmly with hers.

And then she crested the wave, clenching hard, crying out, lost in the storm of emotions and sensations that rolled over her. Stars blinked in front of her vision and she barely registered Steve’s expression tightening before he pumped hard into her and crumbled, his hips tense against hers.

Sweaty and hot, Tessa practically collapsed on top of him, pleasurable ripples still surging through her. His heart was beating wildly beneath her ear, her own breaths struggling, and she finally felt his arms reach over her hand and envelop her in his warmth. Involuntarily, her inner muscles clenched again and Steve hissed, his handcuffed hands digging into her back.

“Sorry,” Tessa breathed, shifting so that he slipped out of her.

“I’m not.” Steve chuckled shakily and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Think I can get out of these, now?”

Tessa hugged him tightly. “Nope. I quite like this.”

“Minx,” Steve teased. “Just you wait. I’ve got this Sergeant that won’t listen to a word I say. I think I’ll have to call her into my office for a stern talking-to.”

“Oh?” Tessa propped up on her elbows, grinning widely. “Just talking?”

Steve only smirked.

 

**TBC**

 


	5. Up to no good 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from tempe_brennandr on LJ. Smut and discipline in Steve's office.

**PART TWO**

**Prompt:** 078\. Where?

* * *

  
  
“Hey. You wanted to see me?” Knocking on the doorframe, Tessa popped her head inside Steve’s office.  
  
Steve seemed to perk up and he sat up straight. “Yeah. Close the door, will you?”  
  
“Oh. Okay.” Slightly perturbed, Tessa stepped inside and did as she was told, then approached his desk. “Something on your mind?”  
  
“Yes, actually…” Pushing back his chair, Steve got to his feet and walked around her to the windows facing the rest of Central Homicide. With expert motions, he closed the blinders: a sign to everyone that he was in a private meeting and anyone who wanted him had to either knock on the door or phone him. Once done, he turned back to her with a slightly cocky smile. “I’ve gotten a complaint about you, Sergeant.”  
  
Tessa raised an eyebrow, noting the subtle tease in his tone. “Oh?”  
  
Steve nodded seriously. “Wrongful arrest, disrespecting a superior officer…” He grinned widely as he approached and settled his hands on her hips. “Quite serious allegations.”  
  
A flutter went up Tessa’s spine when she caught on, and a hesitant smirk crossed her lips, mingled with the sudden fear that someone might walk in unannounced. “Indeed. Who’s the complainant?”  
  
“Someone who’d like to be anonymous at this stage.” Steve ran his hands up underneath Tessa’s suit jacket and to the small of her back, then down to her round bottom. With firm steps, he forced her backwards until she was pushed up against his desk, her breath growing heavier by the second.  
  
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Tessa said, smirking slightly even as her heart hammered in her chest and an insistent pulsation started between her legs.  
  
She raised her hands to grab onto Steve’s shoulders, prepared for him to hoist her up onto his desktop. Instead, he removed his hands and then plucked her hands off him, denying her further contact.  
  
“Even so, I’ll have to investigate this.” Placing her hands on the edges of his desk, Steve leaned towards her, his breath hot on the skin of her neck. “Thoroughly.”  
  
Tessa’s eyes closed briefly, lost in the tantalising sensation of Steve ghosting her skin with his warm kisses. She gripped the desk hard, shifting impatiently on her feet, her suit jacket already too hot for her. When Steve’s hand suddenly trailed up underneath her skirt, she shuddered and gasped.  
  
Before he could reach the apex of her thighs, however, he withdrew completely and took two steps back. “Turn around, Sergeant.”  
  
Glaring at him for stopping, Tessa nonetheless did as commanded. Not able to see him, she could feel the tension rise within her. All she could rely on was her other senses: how his shoes creaked slightly on the floor when he moved, how his clothes rustled, how his sheer presence seemed to envelop her before his hands did. When she felt his hands guide her to lean down against the desktop, causing her bottom to jut out into the air, the pulsation between her legs throbbed hard. More so when she felt his hardness brush up against her butt cheeks before withdrawing.  
  
“Spread your legs,” Steve muttered lowly into her ear, his breath hot.  
  
She complied, her heartbeat racing, and she gasped when his hands began to pat her down. Arms first, wrist to shoulder and back. Then her back, hips, outside of her legs, up the insides of her thighs, pulling her skirt up slightly. With a slow caress, Steve felt his way across her hips to the front of her pelvis, briefly cupping her sex before continuing up her abdomen, the underside of her breasts, and finally the buttons of her shirt. One by one, he unbuttoned them, just enough that he could feast his hand upon her bra-covered breasts.  
  
Tessa moaned at the touch, her legs shaking slightly, and longed for friction against her throbbing bundle of nerves. When his fingers slipped inside her bra and twirled a nipple between them, she nearly came undone.  
  
“Not too loud now, Sergeant,” Steve whispered against her neck, his groin brushing up against her bottom again. “Don’t want to end up as an anonymous note on the bulletin board, do you?”  
  
“No,” Tessa gasped, tilting her neck so that he had easier access…which only made him ignore it and chuckle as he did it.  
  
“So how about those allegations. Any truth to them?” Steve’s voice was a low drawl, husky and smooth, his motions slow and teasing. The hand not flicking her nipple trailed down her abdomen to her pelvis, teasing her through her skirt.  
  
“Yes,” Tessa whispered, bucking against his touch, wanting the friction he so cruelly withheld.  
  
“That’s a shame,” Steve said and dropped several open-mouthed kisses on her neck. His hand snuck to her bottom and squeezed it almost painfully, sending another heavy throbbing through her nervous system. “I’ll have to discipline you then.”  
  
Tessa’s eyes closed, lost in the sensations his simple touch and presence could evoke from her. This certainly wasn’t what she’d pictured when coming into his office. The event with the handcuffs had been a few weeks ago; she’d completely forgot the veiled promise he’d given her.  
  
She hadn’t forgotten what he’d said back then, though, and she smirked. “Do your worst.  _Sir_.”  
  
Steve’s hands squeezed her hard, his teeth nipping her skin, and he pushed himself flush up against her. The contact was titillating, making her gasp; she wanted nothing more in that moment than to have him bunch up her skirt and take her from behind.  
  
Distantly, she knew she should be worried about someone walking in on them. Somehow, she didn’t care, though. Instead, she focused on how his hand trailed down her thigh and up underneath her skirt, finally finding that little bud that’d undo her in seconds. With a rough press, he rubbed his fingers against it and her whole body trembled in pleasure. Playing with her nipples increased the tension coiling in her core and Tessa moaned silently, arching her back against him, hot and lost.  
  
She lost sense of time as he opened his zipper and rubbed his hardness against her core, then pushed her underwear aside so he could enter her. Both of them sighed at the contact, their bodies tense, impatient.  
  
After a moment, Steve pushed her further down onto his desk and then settled his hands on her hips. Catching on, Tessa braced herself, her breasts rubbing against the hard desktop, and struggled not to cry out as Steve pulled out and then slammed into her. Before long, he’d set a gruelling pace, wet slaps of skin echoing inside the office, their grunts and moans hardly getting past gritted teeth.  
  
Tessa could feel her legs slowly turning to jelly, shaking and barely able to keep her upright. Explosions were running through her body, small at first, then building into a fireworks of sensations racing for the precipice. When Steve’s hand rubbed against her bundle of nerves, she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek and came with a roaring tsunami, collapsing onto Steve’s desk. Only his hands were able to keep her in place and he quickened his pace until he tensed against her and had to support himself on the desktop too.  
  
With a groan, he slipped out of her and Tessa missed him already, even though she was completely spent. Eventually, she began to chuckle slightly and reached down to adjust her soaked underwear and her skirt. On shaky legs, she turned and finally faced Steve, who looked as flushed and flustered as she felt.  
  
They both grinned.  
  
“Think you’ll need to air out this room before you let anyone else in,” Tessa said, taking off her jacket in an attempt to cool down.  
  
“Good idea.” Catching his breath, Steve walked over to the outside window and opened it, a cool breeze immediately surging through the room. “Good thing this office is soundproof.”  
  
Tessa sauntered around his desk and opened the bottommost drawer, pulling out a pack of wet wipes from it. “Good thing you’re prepared this time.”  
  
Steve just grinned.  
  
“You’re not using these when I’m not around, are you?” Tessa held one of the wet wipes between her fingers for emphasis, her lips quirked in a teasing smirk.  
  
“And if I were, could you blame me?” Accepting a wet wipe, Steve made quick process of it and then discarded it in the waste bin along with Tessa’s. Once done, he grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her close for a hug and a drawn-out kiss. “I have to watch you all day and barely be allowed to touch you.”  
  
“You poor thing,” Tessa teased and caressed his cheek. “Well, we both know the longer I stay in here with the blinders closed, the worse the rumours are going to be.”  
  
Steve hugged her closer and stole another kiss. “I think you can afford to wait a little while longer.”  
  
Tessa’s chest warmed comfortably and her smile widened, feeling incredibly loved. “All right.”  
  
 **FIN**


	6. The "other" dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing at a friend's wedding is a good way to get in the mood, right? 
> 
> (Unless you read part 1, this is purely PWP.)

P[ART 1, the lead-up, can be found in the GEN-rated "A lifetime of moments".](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9132316/chapters/22545296) :)

* * *

 

Despite the events that'd transpired outside the wedding reception locale, Tessa could hardly believe this was happening. The tiny thread of rational thought her mind was clinging on to was confirming it for every moment that passed. Her partner and best friend was kissing her and teasing her like a drowned man coming up for air, and she loved it. Her body was answering each stroke, each kiss, each caress in equal desperation. 

Hot and heavy with desire, Tessa eventually found enough force in her muscles to push him off so that they could instead head up to her hotel room. From the elevator to the room, their hands were practically exploring every available inch as they went, and as soon as the door closed behind them, Steve's calloused fingers bunched up the skirt of her summer dress and pushed it up around her waist. She didn't even have time to insert the card in its slot for electricity, dropping it instead onto the carpeted floor in favour of holding on to Steve while he rocked against her. 

It felt as if she’d explode from the touches alone and she grabbed hold of her dress as soon as Steve had pulled its zipper down, and wrung it over her neck, almost faltering when his mouth descended onto her breasts the moment they were revealed. Caught between pleasured gasps and annoyance at the dress still entangled on her arms, Tessa was finally divested of the dratted garment and stood panting as Steve’s hands ran across her back and her breasts. 

His tongue was flicking her sensitive buds, one of his hands skirting the edges of her underwear and the softness of her bum, and she grabbed onto his head, digging her fingertips into his scalp, moaning as fiery bursts rippled through her skin and pooled at her core. Her back arched when he latched onto one nipple and sucked, and she almost crashed backwards into the door. Clearly sensing it, Steve pulled back and shuffled them instead to the edge of the queen's size bed before lowering her onto it. 

As he stood back to undress, Tessa felt the breath catch in her throat. Even in the dimness, she could see his strong silhouette and the clean lines of his body as it appeared, as well as the way he hesitated slightly before hooking his thumbs into his boxers. Suddenly impatient, Tessa shrugged out of her underwear too and flung them away, not caring where they went. 

The action seemed to remove any lingering doubt Steve might have had, and he undressed and nudged himself between her legs, elbows on either side of her torso. His warmth and heavy body was intoxicating. Tessa wrapped herself around him, finding his lips again in the dim light, and hugged him tightly when the combined actions sent new bursts of fire to her core. With half a mind, she writhed against him, wanting the pressure he’d offered before, and moaned when his length – hot and throbbing – finally rubbed against her once more. 

* * *

God, she was wet. Steve groaned as his hardness slid easily through her folds, the tip rubbing insistently against her bundle of nerves. For each stroke, her moans increased in volume, her fingernails dug a little deeper into his back, and her back arched further.

Through it all, he could hardly believe this was _Tessa._ His best friend, his partner – acting and sounding so far removed from how he’d always known her. Those very facts turned him on, made him push harder to bring her to the edge. Judging by the sounds she was currently making, he guessed it wouldn’t be long. 

Even so, he pulled back abruptly and scooted down her body until he could devour her core, could swirl his tongue against her clit, could curl his fingers inside her. She almost writhed off the bed, moans turned into cries, her fingers now digging into his scalp instead. Wetness pooled around his fingers, her inner walls clenching tightly, and he could sense the explosion that was building up within her. 

When she finally tensed and cried out, Steve couldn’t help a grin. Her whole body trembled, over and over, until she lay spent upon the mattress, panting. He could feel the sweat upon her flushed skin and he kissed the inside of her thigh, sensing the lingering shakes. With some effort, he pulled himself up on his elbows and tried to meet her gaze. 

Tessa chuckled slightly when her eyes found him in the dimness. Without speaking, she grabbed his shoulders and began to pull him upwards until he was pressed flush against her once more. Her lips found his, apparently not caring about the lingering wetness on them, and he responded readily, already caressing her skin again; he just wasn’t able to help himself. 

Then, with a determined press, Tessa pushed him onto his back and followed until she was straddling him. Heart hammering in his chest, Steve reached up to caress her breast again as she raised herself slightly and adjusted his length below her. Then she was sliding onto him and the breath was pummelled out of him.

* * *

There was almost too much. Too much sensation, too much emotion, too much _him_. Although her body still trembled with the previous exertion, Tessa moved against him, up and down, back and forth, each stroke stoking the slumbering fire within her. The waves rose once more, teased into action by the nimble hand caressing her breasts, by the way his hips rolled against hers. 

“Steve…” 

The name slipped so easily from her lips and somehow, it seemed to quicken his pace. He hit deeper, harder, and Tessa felt as if she couldn’t get enough. He wasn’t close enough, wasn’t deep enough, wasn’t _everywhere_ enough. Her own hand went down to tease her already over-sensitive bud, her inner walls clenching for each stroke of his hardness. 

Before she knew it, she was crashing again, the tsunami overpowering her, rippling through her body, stealing her strength, her breath, her existence. She felt him tense too, his last few pumps desperate, until they were clenched tightly together, riding out the tailspin of the waves together. Then she collapsed on top of him and he rolled them onto their sides, slipping out of her with a gasp, hugging her tightly afterwards. 

"That was…" Flat on her back for a moment, if only to cool down her hot skin, Tessa chuckled lightly. "Wow." 

Steve chuckled too. "Yeah." 

As they glanced at each other, they broke out in laughter at the same time, probably realising the absurdity in their verbal responses. Utterly euphoric and giddy, Tessa rolled over and wrapped herself around Steve, relishing how his arms came around to hug her to him rather than push her away. 

"You were right about 'the right person' making it all worthwhile," Tessa said with a smile. "I thought maybe this'd be awkward, but… it's not. Not to me, at least." 

"Me neither."

Tessa craned her neck so she could meet Steve's gaze, a smirk on her lips. "Or maybe the dancing was the warm-up. We weren't exactly 100 percent professional."

"Maybe." Smiling too, Steve rubbed his nose against her forehead. "Or maybe this has been a while in the making." 

Tessa grinned. "Yeah…that sounds like the most plausible explanation." Giggling a little, she rested her head on Steve's chest and simply let herself enjoy the moment. "Hopefully this won't be the last time." 

"Are you kidding?" Squeezing her tightly in response, Steve dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. "We're never leaving this hotel. Murderers be damned."

** FIN **


End file.
